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Nimh 18 1924.

W. BLDERSTON BATTERY Zie/05M;

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Patented Mar.. 18, 1,924.

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WILLIAM BALDERS'ION, 0F MADISON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO FRENCH BATTERY & CARBON C0., OF MADISON, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

BATTERY;

Application 1ed-August 10, -1921. Serial No. 491,269.

To all whom z may concer/n.'

Be it known that l, yWILLIAM BALDER- sToN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Madison, in the county of Dane and State of Wisconsin, have invented a'new and useful Improvement inBatteries,y of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to a plural cell dry battery; and the primary object is to provide a cell-holder and adapt the same to use in a suitable container, such as a lantern casing, the construction and arrangement being such that the cells may be readily introduced in to the cell-holder and automatically established in circuit when so introduced, and, further, such that when the cell-holder, loaded with cells, is introduced into the containeiythe circuit is automatically established between the cell-holder and the contacts of the external circuit with which the container is equipped.

The present invention constitutes a modiiication of the invention set Jforth in my application No. 491,268 iiled in the United States Patent Oiiice of even date herewith.

The 'present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 represents a broken vertical sectional view of a lantern provided with a casing containing the improved cell-holder; Fig. 2, a horizontal section taken as indicated at line 2 of Fig. 1, the view showing the cells in position in the holder; Fig. 3, a similar section with the cells removed; Fig. 4, a perspective view of the cell-holder in closed condition; Fig. 5, a bottom perspective view of the removable closure with which the cell-holder is equipped; Fig. 6,. a broken perspective view of the bottom portion of the cell-holder, showinor the lower side of the bottom wall; Fig. a broken sectional view taken as indicated at line 7 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 8, a perspective view illustrating the contacts and connections.

In the construction illustrated, A krepresents the casing or container of an electric lantern which is supported on a spider A.-

and which ,is provided with a bottom A2 and a top closure A3; B, the improved cellholder; and C, C, dry cells mounted in the holder B.

. The casing A is provided in its lower portion with an insulation disk 1 spaced above the bottom A2. The disk 1 is fitted on its upper side with a central metal disk'or contact 2 with which is connected a conductor 3 which leads to the central contact ofthe lamp 4. The disk 1 is further equipped on its upper side with a metal ring or annular contact 5V which is connected,`by a conductor 6, with a contact 7 mounted on the vertical wall of the container A. Another conductor 8, which may be grounded at the base or spider A forms the other outlet ior the lamp 4. The contact 8 is connected with a switch 9, the slide-button 9a of which' may be moved into contact with the contact point 7 to complete the outside (lamp) circuit.

The cell-holder B preferably is of substantially rectangular form and of insulating material. lt comprises a peripheral vertical wall B', a bottom wall B2, andl a removable top wall or closure B3. The vertical wall B may be formed by bending a thin plate of hard liber into rectangularl form and securing the end portions together, as by means of a strip 10. The bottom wall B2 may be a separate plate, secured to the vertical wall by angle pieces 11.

The bottom wall B2 is equipped on its lower side with a central spring outlet con-= tact 12 and with an eccentric spring outlet Contact 13, the contact 12 being adapted to engage the central contact 2, and the contact 13 being adapted to engage the annular contact 5.

The arrangement of contacts and con nections is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 8. This'arrangement is such as to establish the dryc-ells in multiple series. Any other suitable arrangement may be employed, if desired, however. of the bottom wall B2 oi' the cell-holder is mounted a metal strip 14 equipped with contacts 14a and 14b adapted to make contact with the lower ends of two cells. These contacts are electrically connected with the outlet contact 13. Vhen two cells are in position, resting on the contacts 14el and 14h, circuits are established therethru to a pair oli' upper spring cell-contacts 15 and 16 which are mounted onthe inner surface of the closure Bsfthe contacts 15 and 16 being connected 'with a brass strip 17 whose rear end 17a is adapted to make contact, when the closure is in the closed position, with a brass angle bar 18 which is secured to the upper portion of the rear wall of the holder B. The side walls of the holder B are Upon the inner surface equipped with brass angle pieces 19 and 2() which serve as lateral guides for the removable closure B3. The angle piece 19 is further adapted to serve as a contact ina manner similar to the piece 18. From the angle p1ece'18 a conductor 21 leads to the bottom of the cell-holder and connects with a horizontal strip 22 which is secured to the inner surface of the bottom Wall B2 and is equipped with a pair o-f cell-contacts l22a and 22h. When cells are in position above the cell- .contacts 22a and 22", the circuits pass thru closure B3 is shoved into the closing posi-l c tion. From the brass angle piece 19, a conductor 27 leads to the lower end of the cellholder and connects at its lowerl end Withthe central outlet contact 12 of the holder.

The cell-holder shown is adapted to receive four dry cells.

These may be introduced into the' holder B When the closure plate B3 thereof is retracted or withdrawn, after which the closure maybe moved to the closed position. Thus, the dry cells will be automatically established in circuit by the action of inserting them in the holder and closing the holder. When the cells are in the holder, the bottoms of the zinc containers of the cells rest upon the lower cell-contacts; and when the closure plate B3 is moved to the closed position, the upper spring cellcontacts are carried into engagement- With the carbon poles 28 of the cells. At the same time, the upper spring cell-contacts are automatically placed in electrical conf nection with the brass angle pieces 18 and 19, so that the circuits of the cell-holder are completed When the cell-holder B, loaded with cells, is introduced into the container A, the outlet spring contacts 12 and 13 automatically establish connection Wit-h the contacts 2 and 5 of the external (lamp) circuit.

The construction described is simple, durable, permits easy insertion and removal of the cells, and insures against improperly connecting the cells.

The improved cell-holder is adapted to receive .and hold flash-light cells of standard construction, no alteration or special provision with relation to the construction of the .cells being necessary. Moreover, the improved cell-holder affords supports or contacts for the cells at both top and bottom,

relation to the vertical walls of the cellholder as to correspond with the vertical axes of the cells when the cells are introduced.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom.

lVhat I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination, a cell-holder comprising a peripheral Wall, a bottom wall and a slidably Withdrawable top closure, a pair of external outlet contacts mounted on said bottom wall, pairs of cell-contacts mounted on the inner surface of said bottom Wall,

pairs of cell-contacts carried by saidclosure, the members of cach pair of cell-contacts `being in alinement in the direction of movement of the sliding closure, and electrical connections whereby, when cells are introduced in said holder and Lthe closure moved to the closed position, the cells are automatically established in circuit.

2. In combination, a cell-holder comprising a peripheral wall, a bottom Wall and a slidably Withdrawable top closure, a pair of external outlet contacts carried by said bottom wall, pairs of cell-contacts mounted at the inner surface of said bottom wall, pairs of cell-contacts carried by said closure and arranged inl front to rear alinement, and lelectrical connections including contacts carried by said closure, and horizont-al bars carried by the upper port-ion of said peripheral Wall which engage each other when t-he closure is in the closed position, whereby, when cells are introduced into said holder and the closure moved to the closed position, the cells are automatically established in circuit.

3. In combination, a cell-holdercomprising a substantially rectangular peripheral vertical Wall, a bottom Wall, and a slidably withdrawable top c-losure` a pair of outlet contacts carried by said bottom wall, cellcontacts mounted on the inner surface of the bottom Wall and arranged to be engaged by tion between some of the upper cell-contacts and some of the lower cell-contacts, such connections being completed in the operation of moving the closure to the closed position, and dry cells in said holder having their bottoms resting on the lower cellcontacts and having their carbon poles engaging the upper cell-contacts.

4. In combination` a cell-holder comprisinga peripheral wall, a bottom wall and a slidably mounted closure constituting a top Wall, external outlet contacts carried by said v,bottom wall, pairs 0f cell-contacts mounted meme@ i g on the inner surface of said bottom Wall, eral Walls of the cell-holder and constituting 10 spring cell-contacts carried by said closure a portion of the means for establishing con- Aand arrangedin front to rear alinement, nections with the upper cell-contacts, and electric conductors leading from the top ofl dry cells in said holder having -their bot- 5 the holder to the bottom thereof and toms resting on the bottom cell-contacts and v equipped at `,their upper ends with means `having 'their carbon poles slidably engaged 15 for establishing electrical connections with by the upper cell-contacts. the upper cell-contacts, horizontal bars cary red by the upper` portions of the periph- ,r WILLAM BALDERSTON. 

